Responsibility to Protect

The Responsibility to Protect "populations from genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity is an international commitment by governments to prevent and react to grave crises, wherever they may occur. In 2005, world leaders agreed, for the first time, that states have a primary responsibility to protect their own populations and that the international community has a responsibility to act when these governments fail to protect the most vulnerable among us."

"The Responsibility to Protect-Engaging Civil Society (R2PCS) project is housed at the Institute for Global Policy (IGP) in New York. IGP is associated with the World Federalist Movement (WFM)...

"Beginning in September 2007, the Responsibility to Protect-Engaging Civil Society (R2PCS) project at the World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy (WFM-IGP) embarked on a new initiative: to build a global civil society coalition for the responsibility to protect. There remains a need to increase activity and collaboration between civil society organizations (CSO) working to promote the R2P agenda, drawing on CSOs’ detailed knowledge of internal developments in countries facing potential or current atrocities, expertise in the conceptual aspects of R2P, and ability to mobilize the public and press. This initiative -- supported by Oxfam International, Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group, and Refugees International -- complements the newly established Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, launched at the Ralph Bunche Institute at the City University of New York in February 2008.

"In 2003, the World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy (WFM-IGP) launched the Responsibility to Protect-Engaging Civil Society Project (R2PCS) which seeks to promote commitment by the international community to prevent and respond early and effectively to threats of genocide and other mass atrocities. The R2PCS project has received the generous support of the Governments of Sweden and the United Kingdom, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Oak Foundation and individual donations."

List of NGOs who have expressed support for Responsibility to Protect principles

Special Advisor with a focus on R2P
"At the end of August 2007, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon sent a letter to the UN Security Council President, Mr. Pascal Guyama, proposing the creation of the position of Special Advisor on the Responsibility to Protect. This position, acknowledged on 11 December 2007 by the Security Council, is part-time and at the level of Assistant Secretary-General. February 21, 2008 the Spokesperson for Secretary-General announced that Edward Luck was appointed as Special Adviser, with a focus on the Responsibility to Protect, as set out by the General Assembly in paragraphs 138 and 139 of the 2005 Summit Outcome Document. Mr. Luck’s primary role will be to develop conceptual clarity and consensus for the evolving norm.

"Mr. Luck will work closely with the Office of the Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide, Mr. Francis Deng."

Contact

 * Web: http://www.responsibilitytoprotect.org

Critical Resources

 * Michael Barker, "International Crusaders for Global Governance", Swans Commentary, April 20, 2009.
 * Anthony Fenton, "A Real Debate about R2P, Finally", Web of Democracy, July 2009. (Details of Debate between Noam Chomsky, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Jean Bricmont, and Gareth Evans)
 * Anthony Fenton, "The R2P Lobby", Web of Democracy, July 2009.
 * Anthony Fenton, "Foundations of R2P: Annotated Chronology of Important Events and Funding Ties", Web of Democracy, July 2009.
 * Jean Bricmont, "Bombing for a Juster World?: The Problem With the "Responsibility to Protect"", Counterpunch, July 28, 2009.
 * Noam Chomsky, "Come Over and Help Us": A History of R2P, MRZine, August 3, 2009. - Address to the United Nations General Assembly Thematic Dialogue on the Responsibility to Protect, the United Nations, New York, 23 July 2009.
 * Edward S. Herman and David Peterson, "The Responsibility to Protect, the International Criminal Court, and Foreign Policy in Focus: Subverting the UN Charter in the Name of Human Rights", MRZine, August 24, 2009.